How Does a Satellite Dish Receive a Signal?

Origin

Satellite programming signals begin at a broadcast center. The signal is a radio wave, just like the ones used for AM and FM radio reception. However, satellite signals are at much higher frequencies than radio signals. The signal--which contains the television programming you watch--is sent out from the broadcast center to satellites in orbit. Once received, these satellites transmit the signal back to Earth to the satellite dishes at homes and businesses.

Factors

The satellite dishes used for home television reception are designed to receive signals as opposed to transmit. They must be in a direct line with the orbiting satellite sending the signal, with no trees or buildings blocking the path, because high frequency radio signals travel in a direct line and will not bend around obstacles.

Reception

If you look at a satellite dish, you'll notice the large bowl-shaped dish as well as the antenna-like protrusion that extends out in front of the dish. When a signal is sent from orbiting satellites, it reflects off of the dish and is focused on to the protrusion known as the feedhorn. The feedhorn contains the Low Noise Block down converter, or LNB. This device filters and amplifies the signal and sends it out to the home satellite receiver--the box by the TV--via cable.

TV Programming

The satellite receiver then decodes and processes the signal, splits it into individual channels that you can tune through with a remote, and sends it to your TV, where it is displayed as the programming that you watch.